M2B1: Defining New Literacies
Within the scope of education, new literacies practices are increasingly relevant in both professional and personal contexts. This is due to their ability to equip students with the tools to navigate the ever growing and complex digital and cultural world. Conventional literacy practices may not be able to fully prepare students for the challenges in modern working and social life (Sang, Y. 2017, p. 16), which is why the integration and development of new literacies practices are crucial for the future of education. New literacies practices often involve the use of technology, and multimodal media, including images, music, videos, etc. (Sang, Y. 2017, p. 16). This is done in order to enhance critical thinking with the use of digital tools and can be used to educate yourself on a variety of diverse perspectives (NCTE, 2019). Professionally, these practices are crucial as they allow the effective use of technologies in order to achieve a desired result without sticking to conventional literacy tactics, while also fostering diverse perspectives due to the different outlets of information being used. Ultimately, it is our job as educators to ensure that students are able to succeed in the current world that we live in. As stated by Constance Beecher “Each Iowa student will be empowered with the technological knowledge and skills to learn effectively and live productively.” (Beecher, C. 2023) I believe that this should be the ultimate goal for all professionals in the educational field across the United States. Personally, new literacies help me gain valuable viewpoints from a variety of different perspectives. This is useful as it can help me relate and build rapport with diverse students who might not thrive using conventional literacy tactics. In turn, this will help me become a better educator.
The narrow definition of literacy that focuses solely on print-based reading and writing in English can cause significant challenges in educational spaces that have the gosal to promote an equitable environment. According to the NCTE, it is our job to “Recognize and honor the multilingual literacy identities and culture experiences individuals bring to learning environments” (NCTE, 2019). The exclusionary definition that focuses on print-based reading and writing goes against this idea presented by the NCTE. This limited perspective can create serious inequities by failing to value student experiences and their diverse outlook on their learning. It can also lead to students feeling isolated, which could lead to poor performance, which in turn can lead to low self-esteem. All of these factors can have serious consequences on a student's life, as well as your engagement and rapport with that student.
Adopting new literacy and multiliteracy tactics can help address these inequities. The usage of the New London Groups pedagogical strategies can help break down the traditional literacy practices. Specifically, the strategy of “situated practice” in which students draw from their own personal experiences in order to solve problems. (Sang, 2017, p.18) Along with this, we can also incorporate the usage of multimodal media including images, music, videos, etc. (Sang, 2017. p16) These approaches support equitable access to learning by drawing on personal experiences and using different mediums to convey information, which will also help expand engagement and interest. Along with this, they also prepare students to thrive in a diverse and cultural world filled with many differing perspectives.
References
Sang, Y. (2017). Expanded Territories of “Literacy”: New Literacies and Multiliteracies. Journal of
Education and Practice, 8(8), 16–19. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1139059.pdf
National Council of Teachers of English. (2019, November 7). Definition of Literacy in a Digital
Age. NCTE. https://ncte.org/statement/nctes-definition-literacy-digital-age/
Beecher, C. (2023). Chapter 1. What is Literacy? Multiple Perspectives on Literacy.
Iastate.pressbooks.pub.
https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/teachingearlyliteracy/chapter/what-is-literacy-multiple-perspectives-on-literacy/
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the reference to Sang, it is crucial to implement new methods in our teaching . I also found Beecher's information to be informative, as it discussed how it is important that students are equipped for literacy in a number of ways. I agree that it should be our goal as educators to develop literacy in a more nuanced capacity. I have students who are impacted by a narrow definition of literacy, which you explored well in your post. Using multimedia is very important in our practice. I have found the use of videos to be engaging and some students are much better with describing what they saw in a video as opposed to read on the page. It is very interesting to reflect on how education has been able to adapt, even since I was in high school. I hope teachers in the future are able to adopt such practices as discussed here. I also hope testing more reflects this way of thinking.
Hey Robert,
ReplyDeleteI thought you did a great job in your blog post. After reading through your post, the statement that stuck with me the most was, “This limited perspective can create serious inequities by failing to value student experiences and their diverse outlook on their learning. It can also lead to students feeling isolated, which could lead to poor performance, which in turn can lead to low self-esteem.”. Great teachers want their classroom to be a welcoming and equitable environment. Students need to share their thoughts and experiences amongst each other. As educators, we should never have a student in our class that feels isolated or that they do not have a voice. Part of the reason why I got into education is to make sure that my students have a classroom that they feel safe in. When students do not feel safe or respected in an educational space, then this will significantly hinder their educational experience.
John
Hey Robert,
ReplyDeleteEquity is extremely important in education. We will only see true growth when we examine the needs of our students. We are meant to get children ready for life after school, and the only way to do that is if we expand our definition of literacy.
Great Post!